Crystal A. Bauer, a member of the Effort United Methodist Church, received a $1,000 Gift of Hope Scholarship, awarded by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

Crystal A. Bauer, the daughter Shawn and Annamarie J. Bauer, will attend Messiah College this fall as a Sophmore.The Rev. Dr. Karen Layman Gift of Hope Scholarship is awarded to about 500 undergraduate students who have been active and full members of The United Methodist Church for at least three years, have a 3.0 grade point average, and have demonstrated strong leadership in The United Methodist Church, said Allyson Collinsworth, scholarships administrator of the Office of Loans and Scholarships at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.The United Methodist Church, through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry's Office of Loans and Scholarships, awards more than $3 million in scholarships each year to undergraduate, graduate, and seminary students through 60 scholarship programs. Nearly $2 million a year is distributed in loans to college students who are members of The United Methodist Church."Our scholarship programs further the mission of the church by increasing the access to higher education with the goal of developing principled Christian leaders for the church and the world," Collinsworth said.Crystal A. Bauer is currently working as a summer employee for the United Methodist Camps of Greater New Jersey as a Camp Counselor.Crystal said, "Leading these kids has been a delight."To learn more about United Methodist loans and scholarships, visit

www.gbhem.org/loansandscholarships . To donate online to United Methodist Student Day, which supports the scholarship and loan programs, visit

www.umcgiving.org/studentday .